Career and Education Opportunities for Fire Code Inspectors in Arvada, Colorado

Fire code inspectors can find many career and educational opportunities in the Arvada, Colorado area. The national trend for fire code inspectors sees this job pool growing by about 9.3% over the next eight years. Fire code inspectors generally inspect buildings and equipment to detect fire hazards and enforce state and local regulations.

A person working as a fire code inspector can expect to earn about $29 hourly or $61,470 annually on average in Colorado and about $25 hourly or $53,030 per year on average in the U.S. as a whole. Compared with people working in the overall category of Fire Control, people working as fire code inspectors in Colorado earn more. They earn more than people working in the overall category of Fire Control nationally. Jobs in this field include: compliance coordinator, fire prevention specialist, and fire prevention director.

There are two schools within twenty-five miles of Arvada where you can study to be a fire code inspector, among sixty schools of higher education total in the Arvada area. Given that the most common education level for fire code inspectors is some college courses, it will take a short time to learn to be a fire code inspector if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Fire Code Inspector

Fire Code Inspector video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, fire code inspectors inspect buildings and equipment to detect fire hazards and enforce state and local regulations.

Fire code inspectors examine buildings to identify hazardous conditions and fire code violations such as accumulations of combustible material, electrical wiring problems, and inadequate or non-functional fire exits. They also present and explain fire code requirements and fire prevention data to architects, contractors, and the general public. Equally important, fire code inspectors have to perform fire code compliance follow-ups to insure that corrective actions have been taken in cases where violations were found. They are often called upon to attend training classes to maintain current knowledge of fire prevention and firefighting procedures. They are expected to write detailed reports of fire inspections performed, fire code violations observed, and corrective recommendations offered. Finally, fire code inspectors inspect blueprints and plans for new or remodeled buildings to insure the structures meet fire safety codes.

Every day, fire code inspectors are expected to be able to evaluate problems as they arise. They need to solve different sorts of problems in different ways depending upon circumstances. It is also important that they piece together evidence to, in some sense, diagnose what is going on in a situation.

It is important for fire code inspectors to examine properties that store and use hazardous materials to insure adherence to laws and rules, and issue hazardous materials permits to facilities found in compliance. They are often called upon to design and direct fire prevention programs such as false alarm billing, fire inspection reporting, and hazardous materials management. They also examine liquefied petroleum installations and transportation and delivery systems for adherence to fire laws. They are sometimes expected to testify in court regarding fire code and fire safety issues. Somewhat less frequently, fire code inspectors are also expected to supervise staff, training them, planning their work, and evaluating their performance.

Fire code inspectors sometimes are asked to teach public education programs on fire safety and prevention. They also have to be able to search for clues as to the cause of a fire, once the fire is completely extinguished and serve court appearance summonses or condemnation notices on parties responsible for violations of fire codes and ordinances. And finally, they sometimes have to manage the replacement of faulty fire fighting equipment and for maintenance of fire alarm and sprinkler systems, making minor repairs such as servicing fire extinguishers when feasible.

Like many other jobs, fire code inspectors must have exceptional integrity and be thorough and dependable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Arvada include:

Correctional Officer. Guard inmates in penal or rehabilitative institution in accordance with established regulations and procedures. May guard prisoners in transit between jail, courtroom, or other point. Includes deputy sheriffs and police who spend the majority of their time guarding prisoners in correctional institutions.

Criminal Investigator. Investigate alleged or suspected criminal violations of Federal, state, or local laws to determine if evidence is sufficient to recommend prosecution.

Customs Inspector. Investigate and inspect persons, common carriers, and merchandise, arriving in or departing from the United States or between states to detect violations of immigration and customs laws and regulations.

Fire Fighter. Control and extinguish municipal fires, protect life and property and conduct rescue efforts.

Sheriff. Enforce law and order in rural or unincorporated districts or serve legal processes of courts. May patrol courthouse, guard court or grand jury, or escort defendants.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Fire Code Inspector Training

Red Rocks Community College - Lakewood, CO

Red Rocks Community College, 13300 W Sixth Ave, Lakewood, CO 80228-1255. Red Rocks Community College is a medium sized college located in Lakewood, Colorado. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 7,432 students. Red Rocks Community College has a less than one year and an associate's degree program in Fire Protection and Safety Technology/Technician which graduated forty-three and forty-one students respectively in 2008.

Community College of Aurora - Aurora, CO

Community College of Aurora, 16000 E CentreTech Pky, Aurora, CO 80011-9036. Community College of Aurora is a medium sized college located in Aurora, Colorado. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 5,217 students. Community College of Aurora has a less than one year and an associate's degree program in Fire Science/Firefighting which graduated thirty-four and two students respectively in 2008.

Standard Low-voltage Electrician:
The International Code Council's National Contractor Trades Examination Program is an independent testing program designed to provide licensing agencies with information regarding.

Fire Inspector I Certification:
The NFPA Fire Inspector I and II (CFI-I and CFI-II) and Fire Plan Examiner (CFPE) certification programs are a result of requests by fire inspectors, plan reviewers, state agencies, and national organizations to develop certifications founded on the NFPA Professional Qualification Standards and other applicable NFPA codes and standards.

Special Hazards Suppression Systems:
This certification program is designed for engineering technicians engaged in the detailing and layout and/or installation and maintenance related to special hazards suppression systems.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Arvada, Colorado

Arvada, Colorado photo by Lordkinbote

Arvada is situated in Jefferson County, Colorado. It has a population of over 107,361, which has grown by 5.1% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Arvada, 96, is near the national average. New single-family homes in Arvada are priced at $252,600 on average, which is above the state average. In 2008, one hundred nineteen new homes were constructed in Arvada, down from one hundred thirty-seven the previous year.

The three most popular industries for women in Arvada are health care, educational services, and professional, scientific, and technical services. For men, it is construction, professional, scientific, and technical services, and public administration. The average travel time to work is about 26 minutes. More than 29.0% of Arvada residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 8.5%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Arvada is 7.3%, which is greater than Colorado's average of 6.6%.

The percentage of Arvada residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 35.5%, is less than both the national and state average. The most prominent religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Charismatic Churches Independent and the LDS (Mormon) Church.

Arvada is home to the Arvada Filtration Plant and the Arvada Plaza as well as McLlvoy Park and Ralston Valley Park. Shopping centers in the area include Arvada Square Shopping Center and North Park Shopping Center.